The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-05-27
MExICo's WAR STRENGTH.
Able to Keep 100000 Men In the Field
Excellent Fighters.


Excellent Fighters.
Should the United States be compelled
to whip Mexico into compliance with
her international obligations, we would
find the task much more difficult one
than people appear to suppose. Some
of our military men and others who
may be looked upon rs leaders of public
opinion laugh to scorn the idea that the
sister Republic could offer any consider
able resistance to an American armed
force, and in support of their opinions
they are fond Of repeating the fact that
Gen. Scott captured the City of Mexico
with field force of about $4,000 men.
People who think that such an under
taking could be successfully attempted
now are quite astray in their calcula-
tons. When the American army occu-
pied Mexico it had only to deal with the
thoroughly unpopular. corrupt, and
tyrannical Dictator General Antonio
Lopez dc Santa Ana. So very much
disguised were the Mexicans with the
ruinous rule of this despot that the ma
jority of them hooked upon the invading
Americans rather in the light of friends
duu OcllNCAtto llOul UOiustSS tudn VI
national csaemes. This condition is
now changed altogether. Mexico has
fought her way to Federal Constitu-
ton. She defeated the French invading
army of about 5000 men, She speedi-
ly put down the monarchical conspiracy
to establish an empire within her bord-
ers, and has succeeded wonderfully dur
ing the last ten or fifteen years in con-
solidating her political institutions and
in organizing II most efficient, we'll
equipped army.
Mexico contains at the present time n
population of over eleven millions. 1t
is true that seven-tcnths of this popula-
ton are composed of docile Indians or
half-breeds, but it must not be forgotten
that this same class of people furnishes
most excellent fighting material They
can live on the smell, of an oil rag,
march almost Incredible distances, suf-
fer all sorts of hardships uncomplain-
ingly, and are, as general rule, fear
less of death. If Mexico could apply to
her people the same principles of mill
tary organization that are applied in
Germany, France, ami some other Eu-
ropean nations. she could place IN line
an army of not less than 100000 fight
ing men. The financial resources of
the country would not. however. admit
'of the calling to arms of more than one
half of this number of men ut one time.
Thus. while the resisting power of Mexi-
go might be set down ut about 500, 600
men, to be employed successfully, as
occasion might require, she could hard
ly by her greatest effort place in cam
paign at any one period over 100000
soldiers. During the wars with France
and with MAMMALIAN the Government
of Juarez had under arms $4,000 poor
ly-equipped troops; but this was at
period when the old Church party had
at least So, 900 Mexican men under arms
in the service of France and of the Arch
duke Maximillian. This shows that
even in those days, when scarcity of
arms, and not lack of men, afforded
an inadequate measure of MexicO's
fighting power, she had arrayed under
one or the other of the contending
parties an aggregate of 1872, 900 men.
The apmy of Mexico is organized in a
method analogous to that of France. 1t
is in four divisions, each under the COM
mand of u General of Division. n rank
that corresponds to that of Major-Gen-
eral in the American service, the high
est grade that can be attained in the
Mexican army. Some of the best known
Generals of Division are Porfirio Diaz.
President of the Republic; Mariana Es-
cobedo, the conquerer of Maximillian;
Ramon Corona, Felipe b. Berriozabal,
Sostenes Rocha, Pedro Hinojosa, the
Minister of War. Manuel Gonzalez, ex-
President; Geronimo Trcvino, Jose Justo
Alvarez, Ignacio Antillon, aud a dozen
of others, more or less. Some of these
general officers, such rs Sostenes Rocha,
Jose Justo Alvarez, and Ignacio Antil-
Ion, are graduates of the Cbapultepec
National Military Academy. while the
others attained their rank through long
continued and distinguished services.
Escobedo is now on the retired list, and
Corona and Gonzalez are not on very
cordial terms with the present Govern
ment. Porfrio Diaz is by far the most
brilliant and successful commander that
his country can boast of. He is revo-
lutionist by profession and prediction.
and somewhat of q tyrant by nature.
Some of his operations in and around
the City of Puebla during the last days
of Maximillian's reign were of such a
character. although on smaller scale,
as to cntitle them to be compared with
those of Bonaparte's first Italian cam
y Herald.